Structures of alkanes and alkanols adsorbed on graphite in solution: Comparison with scanning-tunneling-microscopy images

Abstract

X-ray-diffraction studies have been performed on monolayers of long-chain alkanes and alkanols adsorbed from solution onto graphite. The data confirm the arrangements of these linear molecules on graphite reported in previous scanning-tunneling-microscopy (STM) studies and moreover refine the structures of the alkanol monolayers. The alkanol molecules form an incommensurate herringbone structure due to the formation of zigzag chains of hydrogen bonds, inconsistent with the conclusion of the STM studies.